My Soldier is a program that puts politics aside and lets U.S. soldiers know that someone back home cares. Sgt. Juan Salas, who served for 14 months in Iraq, established the program with the help of his school, Manhattanville College, when he returned from the war. The goal of the program is to show support for troops by establishing pen-pal relationships with them. Whenpeople enroll in the My Soldier program, they agree to adopt a soldier. They receive a “starter kit” containing a red My Soldier bracelet to publicly show their support for American troops and guidelines for writing letters to their deployed United States Armed Serviceperson. Typically, the soldier then replies and direct correspondence begins (about 80% of soldiers respond, but 100% appreciate getting the letters). Participants may also choose to send care packages, which are greatly appreciated (but not expected) by the soldiers. The program is free, but donations are accepted.
http://www.mville.edu/mysoldier/
http://www.mville.edu/mysoldier/
